Wells Fargo & Company Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Stock

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its price target lifted by stock analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $485.00 to $489.00 in a report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the oil and gas company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price would suggest a potential upside of 15.40% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on VLO. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $300.00 to $434.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $467.00 price target on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $302.00 to $485.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $386.12.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

VLO traded down $2.52 on Friday, hitting $423.76. 182,374 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,284,022. The firm has a market cap of $122.01 billion, a PE ratio of 17.62, a P/E/G ratio of 0.26 and a beta of 0.59. Valero Energy has a twelve month low of $159.90 and a twelve month high of $461.52. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $391.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $309.38. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The oil and gas company reported $23.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $21.17 by $2.73. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 26.74% and a net margin of 5.17%. The company had revenue of $46.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $42.71 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.66 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 43.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy will post 52.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valero Energy

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VLO. Gibbs Wealth Management increased its stake in Valero Energy by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. Gibbs Wealth Management now owns 917 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $355,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the period. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. raised its position in shares of Valero Energy by 15.0% during the 3rd quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 469 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $182,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Valero Energy by 15.2% during the 3rd quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 4,793 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,858,000 after buying an additional 634 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 13,453 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $5,215,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares during the period. Finally, BRIA Capital Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. BRIA Capital Group LLC now owns 2,834 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,098,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Key Valero Energy News

Here are the key news stories impacting Valero Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Valero reported third-quarter net income of approximately $6.8 billion, or $23.89 per share, compared with $1.1 billion, or $3.53 per share, a year earlier. Adjusted EPS of $23.90 exceeded the roughly $21.17 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 43.3% year over year to $46.1 billion. Valero Energy Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: The earnings surge was driven primarily by much stronger refining margins, tight fuel inventories and resilient demand. Renewable diesel and ethanol operations also improved, with ethanol production reaching a record level, supporting cash generation. Valero Q3 Earnings Surge Sixfold to $6.8 Billion on Refining Boom
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects fuel margins to strengthen again, suggesting near-term earnings momentum could persist despite efforts by the Trump administration to lower fuel prices. Valero also completed a key refining upgrade, potentially improving operating performance. Valero expects fuel margins to rise again
• Neutral Sentiment: Although results were substantially above expectations, lower throughput volumes show that earnings remain sensitive to refinery utilization, fuel demand and volatile commodity-market conditions. Valero Energy Q3 Earnings Top Estimates on Refining Strength
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target to $400 but maintained a Hold rating, implying downside from the recent trading level. The cautious stance suggests analysts may view the exceptional quarterly profit as cyclical rather than a sustainable new earnings baseline.

About Valero Energy

Valero Energy Corporation is an international energy company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The company’s primary business is refining and marketing transportation fuels, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other products used by commercial, industrial and consumer customers.

Valero operates refineries in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Its refining operations also produce asphalt, petrochemical feedstocks and other petroleum-based products. The company markets fuel through wholesale channels and branded retail networks, including Valero, Beacon and Shamrock-branded locations.

In addition to conventional refining, Valero has businesses focused on renewable fuels.